Five observations: USC's 2012 spring game

Here are my top five observations from USC's spring game Saturday at the Coliseum:

1. Good Barkley, bad Barkley

Quarterback Matt Barkley had an oddly uneven spring camp and a similarly up-and-down spring game. Sometimes his decision-making was sound and his passes were crisp; at other times both were askew. And I'm honestly unsure what to make of it. On the one hand, Barkley did not have his security blanket, Robert Woods, for the entire spring. USC also played much of the time without any healthy tight ends. On the other hand, if you're a three-year starter who set a bunch of records last season and is favored to win the Heisman Trophy this season, should you ever struggle in practice? Barkley's basic sentiment Saturday was that the offense is nowhere close to championship caliber right now but that he's confident it will be come September. Given Barkley's body of work to date, I'm inclined to believe him.

2. First-rate secondary

Part of the reason Barkley scuffled at times this spring is that USC's secondary is vastly improved. I know you've heard this before, but it's absolutely true this year. "We're making plays," said cornerback Isiah Wiley, who had a superb day with five pass breakups. "We're playing a lot faster. We're more aggressive. We're understanding more of the defense also. We've made big strides." One of my favorite plays during the scrimmage came on a fourth-and-2 from the 20-yard line. Marqise Lee motioned toward Barkley, who was in the shotgun, then pivoted back out into the left flat. Barkley flipped the ball to Lee, who had nowhere to go because T.J. McDonald saw the whole thing coming and, from his deep safety spot, made a beeline toward Lee. Everything -- talent, experience, depth -- is in place for USC's secondary to excel in 2012.

3. Swirl routes

Another real factor working against the quarterbacks Saturday was the wind. It was unusually strong and swirly at the Coliseum. Two throws showed just how tricky it was to navigate. On one, the wind took Cody Kessler's pass for De'Von Flournoy out of the end zone. On the other, it knocked down Barkley's deep sideline throw, which fluttered and landed at least 5 yards shy of the intended target. And the thing of it was, those two passes were thrown toward the same part of the field. Barkley said he'd never thrown in such windy conditions but that it shouldn't be an excuse. Lane Kiffin basically said the same. I liked Kessler's comment best: "My high school coach always said the wind doesn't affect a well-thrown ball."

4. Backup battle

There's a theory going around that Barkley's decision to come back ultimately will aid Max Wittek in his quest to be the next starting quarterback for the Trojans. The theory goes like this: Wittek came to USC a little rawer but with a higher upside than Kessler. With Barkley returning, Wittek will have an additional year to develop and sharpen his game. There's no question which of the two has greater tools; Wittek has prototype size and arm strength. But those attributes don't necessarily equate to quality quarterbacking. Kessler, meanwhile, has all the intangibles and throws the most "catchable" ball on the team. Those contrasts make the Kessler-Wittek battle fascinating. And when Max Brownejoins the mix in 2013, well, let's just say next spring will be a lot more interesting than this one.

5. Etc.

I'm not ready to make any bold proclamations about this team, at least not yet. So a few other things I liked: It was good to see D.J. Morgan turn on the jets on his 47-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Expect him to be a much more confident and productive player this season than last. ... Linebacker Hayes Pullard always seems to be in perfect position to square up ball-carriers. He's also a lot stouter than he looks from afar. ... Tony Burnett looks more at home at "Sam" linebacker -- really a linebacker-safety hybrid position in this defense -- than he ever looked in the secondary. Good move by the coaches. ... Soma Vainuku will come up with a handful of big, important plays this season. He showed his stuff by beating linebacker Anthony Sarao -- who's really fast and good in space -- on a wheel route for a 44-yard touchdown late in the scrimmage. With so many other weapons to worry about, defenses won't prioritize Vainuku, who will make them pay.

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